


Breakfast Date

by eisneRiegan



Series: Housemate AUs [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Byleth has a crush on the Gatekeeper, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-21 17:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22267186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisneRiegan/pseuds/eisneRiegan
Summary: Byleth is going on a date.Jeralt asked Claude, Dimitri and Sylvain to check on his daughter.
Series: Housemate AUs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570345
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Breakfast Date

"Greetings, Byleth, I hope you and your father enjoyed your vacation. And I have something to report."

Byleth looked up from her gardening and beamed at the man in front of her. It's Kyle Notalm, a friendly neighbor of theirs. 

Seeing and hearing from Kyle always bolster Byleth's mood, and it doesn't even matter if it's just a good morning or good night greeting. Just seeing and hearing from Kyle cheers her up.

Jeralt may have warned Byleth not to hook up with any of their tenants (out of the three, Sylvain is the worst from what he's hearing about the man's personal life but at least that's the only thing bad about him; everything else is great), but he didn't say anything that she's not allowed to like their neighbor.

Besides, Jeralt can't do anything if Byleth likes Kyle more than needed. Except maybe make her miserable if it ever comes to the point that she's totally fallen for him.

But that's not today. She just have a little crush on him (honestly, who doesn't have a crush on him? He's like... the crush of their whole town) and she hopes that it'll just stay that way. She doesn't want to ruin their friendship with her feelings.

She straightened up to talk to him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear to make her look at least presentable after she's been tackling the weeds in her dad's front garden. Little did she know that that action is considered a kind of flirty action by many and Kyle momentarily stared at her, forgetting it's rude to stare openly.

"What is it?" she asked him, trying to keep her smile under control. She doesn't want him to think that just by stopping to talk to her, he had already made her day.

And whatever he's going to tell her won't ruin it.

"Your tenants are quite...something." He started, afraid that he might offend her. He knows that the Eisners are quite fond of those three troublemakers, to the point that he thought it was a mistake to put those three under one roof. They should have at least kept one of them in the Eisners' own house to be safe.

But he doesn't know which one is the perfect one to stay with them.

Sylvain is obviously not the choice they'd pick, seeing his nightly activities when he's off duty.

Claude is a great cook and he won't cause much trouble unless he was prompted to. And it's normally Sylvain who prompts him.

Dimitri seems a logical choice, being the unproblematic guy out of them. Unless he's also hiding something that Kyle doesn't know.

Kyle's sure he still hasn't seen who Dimitri really is. If he could survive Sylvain and Claude's antics, there must be something in him that maybe syncs with them in a stupid a way. Especially with Sylvain, after knowing that those two grew up together.

"Our tenants? What did they do while we were away?" Byleth asked, frowning.

Jeralt has asked Kyle to keep their three idiot tenants alive for at least a week while the two of them were on a fishing trip.

And kind as he was, Kyle did look after them. They were nice people and they were instant best friends. He even had a movie night with them and it was fun.

"Well... I stayed over the night before your return and... I'm not saying that I'm against whatever relationship they have, it's just... Claude and Sylvain are being too loud and is keeping Dimitri awake. They kept me awake too."

Byleth stared at him. "What?"

"I...have no idea what they're doing but uhm...yeah. Can you maybe, uh, talk to them on keeping it down? I'm worried for Dimitri. He doesn't seem like he's sleeping well recently..."

She sighed at that. "I'm really sorry about that. And thank you for telling me."

"No problem, Miss Byleth. Have a good day."

Byleth gave him a smile and waved at him as he waved goodbye to her. She started to walk towards their tenants' duplex but stopped halfway and turned around to catch up with Kyle.

"Uh, hey Kyle?" she called out to him. Kyle turned around to look at her with a smile.

"Yes Miss Byleth?"

"If... You're not busy this weekend..." Byleth's voice trailed off, her nerves getting in the way.

It's alright for the girl to ask a guy out, right? Besides, it's just coffee between friends.

Surely Jeralt wouldn't mind.

He likes Kyle too.

As a neighbor.

Surely it's going to be fine.

This is just setting up an appointment with a friend. Yes, that's right.

Right?  
  
There's no way this move of hers is going to be interpreted as a date.

While it may look like a date to some, this is just two friends going to hang out.

No one said friends of opposite genders can't hang out.

It just happens to be they're opposite genders.

Kyle waited patiently for her to continue. They stared at each other for a moment before he finally prompted, "Miss Byleth?"

"Oh...uhm...well. If you're not busy this weekend...wouldyougooutwithmeandhavecoffeeandcakedowntown?"

Kyle blinked at her, smiling confusedly.

He had no idea what she had just said.

"I'm...sorry?"

"Oh, well. I mean. Yeah, I'd understand if you're busy or already have plans..."

"What? No, no, no... I'm sorry, Miss Byleth, but I didn't really quite catch what you said earlier."

"Oh..."

"I'm sorry to ask...but can you repeat it?"

Byleth cleared her throat at that, hoping this time she won't garble her words.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you and I can go have some coffee and cake downtown." She told him, hating how her voice is a pitch higher out of nervousness. "I heard they opened up a branch of Ordelia cafe there..."

"Oh, yes, sure." Kyle immediately replied, and then realizing he sounded too eager. "I mean. I've been meaning to go there since I've heard of it but I didn't really have time... So, sure, I'd love to go."

Byleth tried her best not to smile too widely at that. "Okay then.. I'll see you on weekend. Morning?"

"Breakfast sounds good." Kyle agreed. "Are you sure though? Won't it be too early for you after your work?"

"It's fine, it's fine..."

"Great! I'll see you then, Miss Byleth."

Byleth waved goodbye at him and turned back to walk towards the duplex where their tenants are. There's a noticeable happy skipping in her walk and when Dimitri opened the door for her when she rang the doorbell, the blond is a bit confused as to why their landlord's daughter is cheerful on visiting them.

Are they going to get kicked out?

Hopefully not.

Well. He could ask his father to buy the duplex off Jeralt's hands so that they'd be neighbors instead but it's such a hassle with paperworks.

"Good morning, Miss Byleth. Anything I can help you with?" Dimitri asked tentatively. She took a careful look at him, her smile dropping a little.

"You really don't sleep well, huh?" she finally said, reaching out to hold his face.

"Ah...yes. Well. It's fine. I'm taking medicines so it'll be fine."

"And where are Claude and Sylvain?" she asked as she let him go.

Dimitri sighed at that. "They're upstairs. Still sleeping."

Byleth raised an eyebrow at that. "That's surprising. Claude's always the first one to wake up."

"Would you like to join me for breakfast, Miss Byleth?" Dimitri asked her as he moved aside to let her in. "I was just about to make coffee..."

"Sure, okay. I needed to talk to you anyway."

Dimitri closed the front door as she entered and yawned as he accompanied her to the dining area. Byleth sat down on one of the chairs as Dimitri went over to the coffee maker and prepared it for two people.

"Sorry if I couldn't offer you any food...it's usually Claude who cooks our food..." Dimitri said to her as he got two mugs (both belongs to him because Claude is attached to his own mug and will not let anyone use it while Sylvain is cool on sharing mugs as long as they don't break it and use it for shady things). "But we do have some cereals if you want?"

"Coffee and bread is fine, Dimitri. I'm not a heavy eater during breakfast."

Dimitri nodded at that and pulled out the white bread from their small pantry, placing it on the table. He went back to get the coffee, along with the creamer and sugar.

"What is it that you want to talk about, Miss Byleth?" Dimitri finally asked as soon as the two of them got a sip of that nice hot coffee.

"Kyle stopped by earlier and expressed...some concerns."

Dimitri smiled at that, abashed. "Ah, yes...he did say he will tell you. But it's really not a problem, I assure you."

"If you're losing sleep over those two, it's bad for your health."

"No, no...it's really fine."

Byleth frowned at him. "You're not saying that because they're your friends, right?"

"No, really. It's fine, Miss Byleth. Those two were just playing around that time when Kyle was here...I told them not to but they never listened."

"What were they doing anyway?"

"Sylvain was giving Claude a full body massage in his room and he decided to be vocal about it..." Dimitri sighed tiredly. "And Sylvain's input into it doesn't help either. I had to break the doorknob to tell them to shut up. I'm sorry."

Byleth gave a little wave. "It's fine, it's just a doorknob. We can replace it."

"One of the hinges came off as well."

"It's okay. It can be replaced."

"Oh, hey, we have a morning angel with us." They heard Sylvain's sleepy voice and they both looked at him. "Good morning to our beautiful Miss Byleth."

Byleth rolled her eyes at that. "Highly unusual for you to be up late."

"Haha...yeah. I know. I couldn't sleep properly. Claude's a cuddler and in all honesty? I prefer women who'd cuddle me."

She raised an eyebrow at that while Dimitri sat there quietly, looking into his cup of coffee.

"Claude slept in your room?"

"Well, his door is broken so he refuses to sleep in his room. I can't believe he's afraid of imaginary cockroaches. I keep this house clean, I am actually offended. We should get his door fixed as soon as possible so I can have my bed back to myself."

Byleth pursed her lips at that, to which Sylvain raised his hands in defense.

"I'm not bringing any girlfriends or one night stands, I swear. I don't want them to know where I live."

"Girlfriends?" Dimitri asked, stressing on the plural. "Sylvain, what about Mercedes?"

"Mercedes and I are still getting to know each other, Dimitri. And I don't really have any girlfriend right now, I swear."

Byleth stood up, breaking their conversation. "I guess I'll have to delay the repair on Claude's door then."

"What? No. Please, let him back into his room."

"He could stay with Dimitri if you don't want him to sleep next to you."

"My bed's too small for the two of us to fit." Dimitri admitted.

"Hey, why are you all complaining about me like I'm some stray cat?" Claude said as he entered the dining area. "Any more of that coffee in there, Dimitri?"

"Sorry, I only made enough for me and Miss Byleth. I wasn't sure when you two will be up."

Claude went over to the coffee maker and changed the filter in it to prepare for his and Sylvain's coffee.

"I've got to say, Sylvain. Your bed is really stiff, I hardly slept at all."

"Hey, you're the one sleeping so soundly last night. And stop cuddling me."

"Oh, it was you that I was cuddling with? I thought it was a giant marshmallow."

"Are you saying I'm gaining weight?"

Claude looked at Sylvain's midriff and chuckled. "Maybe."

"How dare you!"

  
"Hey, where are you going, kid?" Jeralt asked when he saw Byleth putting on her shoes and seem ready to go out early for the weekend. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"

"I'm going to have breakfast with Kyle in the Ordelia cafe, Dad. Sorry."

Jeralt only looked at his daughter carefully.

A breakfast date with their neighbor?

"Really now?"

"Yep. I'll see you later."

Jeralt watched his daughter go and met with Kyle outside. Kyle waved at him politely and Jeralt acknowledged him with a nod.

As soon as those two left, Jeralt went over to their tenants.

It was Claude who opened the door, having returned from his morning jog some minutes earlier.

"Oh, good morning, Sir Jeralt. Anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, there is something I'd like you to help me with. If you do, I'll cut your rent in half for the next month."

Claude stared at him.

Well now. This is surprising.

"I want you to follow my kid to the Ordelia cafe and see that they're okay."

Sylvain poked his head out of the living room, after hearing such request.

Well now. Looks like someone asked their one and only Miss Byleth out on a date.

Why is it so early though? Who sets a date at seven in the morning??

With Miss Byleth too.

  
"I'm not really comfortable with this." Dimitri told his companions as they sneakily sat at a table a few feet away from Byleth and Kyle who are having their breakfast by the window seats of the cafe. "Following Miss Byleth around..."

"Relax. We have permission from the Big Daddy after all." Claude assured him. "Besides, this cafe is owned by a friend of mine. Which is surprising. I didn't know she had expanded her bakeshop this far. So we can just ask them to check on those two every now and then."

"You know, at times I'm quite surprised by your connections." Sylvain said as he looked over at Byleth and Kyle. "You don't look like that kind of person after all."

They seem to be having fun, despite of the ungodly hour for a date. It looks like it's mostly Kyle who's talking, probably sharing some random things, and Byleth is just listening to him.

"Hey, what do you mean by that? I'm allowed to have friends apart from you two."

"No, what I mean is, you don't look like that type of guy who'd just befriend girls easily."

"I'm not you, Sylvain. I won't go hitting on any girl I see. You'd be surprise how it's much better to have girls as friends instead of a one time thing."

Dimitri only frowned at them. "Can you two please stop bickering? They'll notice us..."

Sylvain and Claude quieted down, taking sips of their coffee (and Dimitri finally enjoying his hot cocoa) and little bites of their food. Dimitri was staring right ahead at Kyle and Byleth, who seems to be getting along quite too well for his liking.

"Ah, it would be better if she dated me instead." He heard Sylvain said. "I'd wake up even before the rooster belts out his goodmorning."

Dimitri turned his attention to his friend, surprised to hear such thing. "Really, Sylvain?"

"No, but I can tell that's what you're thinking." Sylvain chuckled.

The blond flushed at that. "What? No."

Claude looked over at him, shocked. "What? You mean to say you don't find Miss Byleth attractive to even think of going on a date with her?"

"No, I didn't say anything like that."

"Hey Claude, we promised that Miss Byleth is off limits between the two of us but Dimitri is free to pursue." Sylvain reminded him, pointing his fork at Claude.

"Speak for yourself. I didn't promise such thing." Claude stuck his tongue out at him.

"You three are making so much noise too early in the morning." A young man told them as he brought over some more nibbles for them from the owner. "And Lysithea said you are paying for these extras, Claude."

"What? Come on Cyril, we didn't really ordered that one. Lysithea gave it on her own accord. If you really have to bill it, bill it to that guy over there." Claude frowned, nodding at Sylvain.

"Hey you're the one with the fat paycheck." Sylvain shot back.

"I don't really care who has the fatter paycheck. Just pay for these." Cyril said as he set down the extra food. He also took out a folded paper and handed it to Claude. "She also told me to give this to you."

"Oh, thanks."

"Now pay up."

"Yeesh. You are really strict." Claude mumbled as he took out his wallet and gave him the exact amount.

Cyril left them and Claude opened the paper handed to him. Dimitri and Sylvain waited for him to speak, curious to what it says.

"Well?" Sylvain finally asked.

"Well what?" Claude replied distractedly.

"What's in that note?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Just something regarding work. Nothing about those two."

Sylvain squinted at him suspiciously but let it go. Claude has a lot of secrets and he's not that much curious about it to get into trouble. Whatever it is, it's not worth it for him.

They continued to watch Kyle and Byleth from afar, with Dimitri ordering his third cup of hot cocoa.

Sylvain took a look at his watch, idly playing with the new breadsticks placed on their table by a really weirded out Cyril because that's all they've been ordering since an hour ago.

"How long do breakfast dates usually go?" he finally asked his companions. "It's been two and a half hours. They don't even have food on their plates anymore."

Dimitri shrugged, having no real experience in the world of dating (he tried okay? But it didn't work out after the first date because the girl got kinda clingy and he doesn't like that). Claude, on the other hand, have had a few flirtations but he never went on a date with them.

Unless you count that one time he got dragged around by Hilda to help her older brother pick out the perfect engagement ring for his long-time girlfriend. And then used him to get a 10% discount because the shop is one of those businesses owned by the Riegan family.

"Aren't you the expert here, loverboy?" Claude told him.

"Two and a half hours for breakfast? That's normally reserved for lunch or dinner. Then you go to a movie or something. Or to a hotel, if you get my drift."

"Well, they're not like you in the first place. Maybe they're content on–wait, quick. Look away."

The three of them looked down as Kyle and Byleth stood up, apparently done with their breakfast date. Both of them have big smiles on their faces, as they walked out of the cafe.

Sylvain pursed his lips as he watched them. "Huh, not holding hands. Either they're still getting to know each other or they're both shy."

"Seriously, Sylvain. We have already established Kyle is not like you." Dimitri told him patiently.

"Yeah, he's way more nicer and awkward when he tries to flirt. At least we know that Kyle isn't going to go through girlfriends like a pen through wet tissue paper like you." Claude added, making Sylvain scowl at the two of them.

"Oh, shut up."

They watched the couple exit the cafe, stood outside for a moment and then said their goodbyes. Kyle waved cheerfully at Byleth then walked away.

Byleth stood there, waving to him in return, and as soon as he disappeared at the corner she turned to look back into the cafe and straight at the three of them.

She raised her eyebrows at them, which came off as vaguely threatening.

"Never underestimate an outsider, as I always say." Claude muttered as he took the last few gulps of his now cold drink. "Of course Miss Byleth would have noticed us..."

"I still don't understand why you call her an outsider." Dimitri said as they stood up from their seats. Claude took one last breadstick, biting into it, and shrugging at Dimitri's question.

No one really noticed that Byleth mostly kept to herself huh? While she may be their town's resident hot lady, she actually have few close friends, that he could almost count in one hand. Claude doesn't know if it has something to do with Jeralt being her father or just because she couldn't really care having a circle of friends.

And that Byleth has this uncanny skill of noticing someone approaching her or watching her from behind or afar. Claude still hasn't figured out of a way to get at least one chance to spook her.

The three of them came out of the cafe sheepishly, like students caught by their teacher doing something they shouldn't be doing.

"So, my dad sent you." she said as a matter-of-factly as she started walking off the opposite direction that Kyle went to. She didn't even end it in a questioning tone.

"Uh, home is that way?" Claude asked her, gesturing to the other direction. Byleth shook her head and continued on walking.

"Date didn't go so well?" Sylvain asked, concerned, as they walked.

"It went well. And it's not a date. Just two friends having breakfast together."

Sylvain rolled his eyes at that. "Sure."

"It's true."

"Uhuh."

They rounded at a corner and then crossed the road to get to the other side where the children's park is. Byleth sat in one of the swings while Sylvain took the other. Claude and Dimitri stood at the sides, with Claude leaning on the metal supports of the swing.

"So, what really happened?" Sylvain finally asked. "You wouldn't waste two hours of a really good weekend morning only to have a bad date."

"I told you it wasn't a date." Byleth replied as she lightly kicked off to move her swing back and forth slowly.

"So what got you gloomy?"

"I know you're the wrong person to ask this to, so I'm directing it towards Claude and Dimitri."

Sylvain pouted at that, hurt by her words.

"Ever got that feeling of attraction to someone but then decided it would be better to be friends because you know it won't work out?"

Dimitri blinked at that, then looked down at his feet to think.

"Well, yes. I think I understand." Dimitri replied, surprising Claude and Sylvain. "I mean, I wouldn't want to lose a friend, like Ingrid for example, just because things didn't work out...our friendship is more precious than any romantic pursuit."

"Well, that's unexpected." Sylvain commented. Dimitri only frowned at him.

"I really don't think you'd know that feeling, Sylvain."

"Oh come on, stop attacking me like this."

Claude walked over to stand behind Byleth, catching her swing and helping her move it by gently pushing her.

"I see. So you realized in this morning date with Kyle, you don't want to lose him as a friend even though you were prepared to confess to him. Wow. Who knew he's your type of guy." Claude said with a smile.

"I don't really have a type, Claude. It just so happens Kyle is really easy to talk to and it's not like I'm madly in love. It's more like a schoolgirl crush level."

"I see...well, if you're open to dating, how about go on a date with me?" Claude caught her swing, making her look at him and he gave her a playful wink. "No pressure. You can always say no if you don't want to."

"Hey, that's not fair Claude!" Sylvain complained.

"Indeed, asking her out right after her date is not good form." Dimitri agreed. "At least let her have a few days."

"Eh, so you two can ask her out before I can? No thank you. I know you Dimitri. You'd ask her out when we're not looking."

"What? No. I'm not like that."

"Oh, so you're going to ask her in front of us then?"

"Claude, you are ridiculous."

"I know."

As the three of them bicker, Byleth let out a laugh, making them stop.

"Don't laugh at me, By." Claude pouted. "I'm serious about that."

"Her laughing at you means you've already lost. She's not interested, Claude. Give up." Sylvain sneered. "And you're not allowed to give nicknames to her this fast!" 

"As if she'd date a womanizer like you. And women likes it if a man can make them laugh."

"Miss Byleth, should we head back home?" Dimitri asked her as he walked over to stand in front of her, holding out his hand. "Listening to these two must be exhausting."

Sylvain grabbed Dimitri's hand. "Hey, no cheating. You can't just–"

Claude then scooped up Byleth into his arms and ran off. "Bye guys. We're off on our first date! No need to follow us!"

"Wha–? Hey Claude! Get back here!"

"Claude! Put Miss Byleth down!" 


End file.
